Chapter 212 The madman is not a monster, but a good-looking person.
The battle of the immortals against the humans has begun.
On the battlefield where the armies of Zhou and Yong clashed, cultivators joined in, seizing weapons from the Yong army under the cover of Zhou soldiers. More and more of these weapons, forged from earth blue stone, fell into the hands of immortals.
Yong Jun never expected that these immortals, who had once escaped their blades, would begin to fight back without any scruples. The weapons they originally used to slay immortals would eventually become the death warrants that ended their own lives.
With the Immortal-Slaying Weapon broken, the Yong army's advantage vanished. The Zhou people, however, experienced a completely different turn of events. The royal princess, ordered to bring a Qilin horn, burned it before battle to release divine energy to the immortals. The cultivators, empowered by this divine energy, experienced a significant increase in their cultivation, gaining an even greater advantage. The Yong army suffered a crushing defeat, and within Yong's borders, strange phenomena occurred frequently, causing widespread fear and unease among the people, who believed that the fate of the Great Yong Dynasty was sealed.
In less than a month, Zhou Jun had once again penetrated deep into the heartland, reaching the capital region of Yongdu Zhaoming even closer than before.
The Zhou people's next goal was to reclaim Zhaoming City, which they had lost for a century.
On a moonless, star-studded night, Zhou Jun's camp in the capital region was shrouded in an invisible barrier, and the army was on high alert, indicating that this was a shared stronghold for both immortals and humans.
Inside one of the tents, however, came the clear, childlike laughter, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere outside.
Ji Yujing sat close to Jiang Yuhuo, half her body leaning against her. The tent was warm from a charcoal fire, but nothing compared to the warmth of her embrace. She took her place next to Jiang Yuhuo with an air of entitlement, occasionally nuzzling against her affectionately. She was still the same as always, acting coquettishly and ingratiatingly, a stark contrast to the dignified and solemn royal princess who bestowed divine energy upon the cultivators during the day.
This immediately dampened Jiang Yuhuo's initial sense of relief that she had grown up.
She's still that little girl who always clings to her side and calls her "Auntie"...
Having removed her formal attire and reverted to her original form, Ji Yujing was quite pleased, tilting her head and asking, "Auntie, wasn't I very impressive that day?"
Jiang Yuhuo pinched that proud face, "It's impressive, but have you ever thought about what would happen if your divine aura was exposed as fake?"
"No way, no one saw it..." she said, but then she noticed Zhang Zhenyang sitting not far away, smiling at her. She immediately changed her tune and said cautiously, "Those who saw it won't tell anyone, will they..."
Little did she know that the person who had used up his last wisp of divine energy would also be here when she arrived.
Wen Yizhan handed her a handful of roasted chestnuts and laughed, "You were so arrogant when you were trying to fool people with fake Qilin horns, but now you're scared?"
The freshly roasted chestnuts were hot and fragrant, but Ji Yujing couldn't bring herself to eat them. She couldn't bear to throw them away either. She held them in her hands and blew on them, not forgetting to defend herself in her busyness. "Who's lying? Hehe... that piece of deer antler had heavenly fragrance added to it, which is very beneficial to cultivators. Hehe... those cultivators were very happy too."
She peeled open a cooled popsicle and offered it to Jiang Yuhuo in a flattering manner.
Jiang Yuhuo had long since abstained from grains and had no need or desire for food, but when the little girl looked at him with expectant eyes, he obediently opened his mouth and ate.
But as soon as it entered her mouth, her expression changed immediately.
"What's wrong, Aunt?" Ji Yujing blinked and looked at her.
"nothing."
Jiang Yuhuo just smiled and patted her head.
Ji Yujing was delighted and turned to the others, saying, "Besides, even if the effect isn't as good this time, who can say... that the power of divine energy won't diminish?"
Only the Ji family possesses the Qilin horn, and only the Ji family can decide how to interpret it.
The implication was that she wasn't afraid even if Zhang Zhenyang told others.
"Master Zhou, don't you think so?"
The person sitting on the couch nodded to her. "Indeed, it's a clever move. His Majesty's agreement to the little princess shows that he approves of such an action."
At this juncture, the willingness to offer treasures, whether genuine divine essence or counterfeit, demonstrates the Great Zhou's commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with the immortal sects. Sometimes, giving allies confidence is more important than a slight increase in strength.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yujing immediately beamed with joy and made a smug face at Zhang Zhenyang.
Looking at that cunning face, Zhang Zhenyang recalled the equally clever and cunning Ji family member from many years ago.
The Ji family seems to have an innate ability to win people's hearts.
At such a young age, she nestled comfortably in her apprentice's arms, enjoying the gifts from another apprentice. Upon hearing Zhou Sidao cough, she immediately ran over, grabbed his hands, and pleaded, "Master Zhou, you must get better soon! Xiao Jing still has so much to learn from you..."
This moved the man, who had lost all his spiritual power and was physically and mentally fragile, to tears.
"Good child, don't worry... Master will be fine, and will watch you grow up..."
The firelight inside the tent was warm, and everyone had a warm smile on their face. Jiang Yuhuo smiled too, and looking at this scene, she suddenly felt a rare sense of peace.
They will all be alright...
Even if I'm gone, they can all take care of themselves. Even Xiao Jing has the ability to take care of herself no matter where she is.
"...Hmm? Why hasn't Qiu An come back yet after so long?"
Zhou Sidao suddenly asked, and everyone then realized that a long time had passed since Ji Qiu'an went out to fetch the wine.
Jiang Yuhuo stood up. "I'll go take a look."
Wen Yizhan immediately stood up as well, "I'll go with you."
The cooking tent was set up in another corner of the camp, and the two of them walked there, fearing that Ji Qiu'an was on his way back.
But then she heard a snapping sound in Wen Yizhan's hand, which piqued Jiang Yuhuo's curiosity. Before she could even ask a question, she saw him hand her a peeled, golden, plump chestnut, which looked even sweeter than the one Xiao Jing had given her.
“Senior brother, I already…” Jiang Yuhuo was about to refuse, but Wen Yizhan smiled and shook his head at her, “Junior sister used to love eating chestnuts too.”
Once upon a time... a long time ago.
At that time, she had just entered Kunlun and had not yet learned how to abstain from grains. Wen Yizhan would often pick chestnuts on the mountain and roast them for her to eat. There was not much food on Zhenyang Peak, and she found the hot chestnuts to be delicious.
Later, she learned to fast, and she no longer needed food, so she never tasted that sweet flavor again.
She could no longer taste anything... Just now, when Xiao Jing fed her chestnuts, she realized that this body had lost its sense of taste. Because she had no need to eat, she didn't even know when she had lost her sense of taste.
Jiang Yuhuo put the food in her mouth, and although it tasted like cardboard, she still squinted her eyes with obvious satisfaction. "Mmm, delicious."
Wen Yizhan wanted to tap her nose as before, but as soon as she raised her hand, she suddenly remembered something and put it back down as if nothing had happened.
Junior sister... she's no longer just his junior sister.
"...I originally thought that when I saw my junior sister again, she would look the same as when I first met her," Wen Yizhan said with a smile. The two chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, the conversation had turned to this topic. "Junior sister, are you planning to help the Great Zhou Dynasty fall before switching back to your original body?"
Jiang Yuhuo's heart skipped a beat. After a moment of silence, he nodded haphazardly.
Wen Yizhan laughed, "That's good. After fighting all this way, the soldiers of Great Zhou have all come to believe in you. If you were suddenly switched back, they'd probably all be asking where their princess is..."
"It's not that important." Jiang Yuhuo smiled, not taking it to heart. She felt that she had just arrived at the right time, precisely when Zhou Jun was at his most difficult moment. After the victory at Liyang Pass, Zhou Jun began to catch up and advanced triumphantly until Qin Yuqi took out those weapons.
Unexpectedly, if it weren't for that battle, Xidu City would probably already be under the control of Yong Kingdom.
Wen Yizhan suddenly stopped, and Jiang Yuhuo stopped as well. "What's wrong?"
"Have I not told my junior sister what you used to look like...?" He paused, but his gaze was warm and firm. "You were very beautiful."
Jiang Yuhu smiled and lowered her head, then suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
If it were back then, she would have been very happy to hear someone other than her father praise her like that.
He's not a monster, he's a good-looking person. He said he's very good-looking.
But it's all in the past now...
I didn't treat it well back then, and I didn't manage to keep it after I learned to cherish it...
"Why are you crying?" Wen Yizhan wiped away her tears and teased her deliberately, "Senior brother was just praising you casually, junior sister, there's no need to be so moved..."
Jiang Yuhuo sniffed and chuckled, "So it was just a casual remark?"
“Of course…” he deliberately dragged out his words, paused, and then slowly said, “It comes from the bottom of my heart.”
Jiang Yuhu laughed, but tears still streamed down her face.
Wen Yizhan sighed, then finally stretched out his arms and hugged her, gently patting her back. "Senior brother is waiting for you to change back... No matter what you look like, you will always be my junior sister, Wen Yizhan's junior sister."
She's just my junior sister.
The final hug was born of affection but ended with propriety.
What are you doing?
The camp was not quiet, but the voice still pierced through the noise and went straight between the two who were embracing.
Jiang Yuhuo looked up and saw Li Mengbai at the other end of the path.
He stood in the darkness like a shadow, the lamplight behind him obscuring his expression, only sending a chill down one's spine.
He was dragging a person along the ground by the collar, with no sign of struggle or resistance, and it was unclear whether the person was dead or alive.
The man's head was turned to the other side, so Jiang Yuhuo couldn't see his face, but she could see the cypress wood pattern on his clothes, which was the Ji family's emblem.
Wen Yizhan also saw it, "Who is that person you're holding in your hand, Ji Qiu'an?"
Li Mengbai made no attempt to hide it, pushing the person in his arms forward, "Yes, you want to save him?"
His sudden movement exposed Ji Qiu'an's face completely, revealing a hole in his forehead and bloodstains all over his fair and delicate face.
Jiang Yuhuo was shocked. He immediately drew his sword and rushed over, pointing the Dingchun sword at Li Mengbai, its blade gleaming coldly.
"What did you do to him? Let him go!"
Li Mengbai saw her sword thrust forward without hesitation, but he didn't move. A glint of tears seemed to flash in his eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed, his voice suddenly becoming weak. "Why don't you ask him what he did to me?"
Jiang Yuhuo's eyes were cold. "It's none of my business. Let him go."
"Ha!" He chuckled briefly, a fleeting sadness crossing his amorous peach blossom eyes.
"What if I don't let go?" His tone became provocative, his gaze remaining fixed on Jiang Yuhuo.
Jiang Yuhuo glanced at Li Mengbai. The Dingchun Sword was only inches away from his heart. With just a little more force, it could pierce his heart.
"Then don't blame me for being impolite."
Li Mengbai suddenly burst into laughter, "Haha... You want to kill me? You actually want to kill me for someone like this?"
He grabbed Ji Qiu'an by the neck, and his bloodied face immediately turned a different shade of red.
"Stop!" Two voices shouted simultaneously.
Wen Yizhan also rushed over.
In her haste, Jiang Yuhuo thrust the Dingchun Sword in without any resistance. She was surprised, but then she heard Li Mengbai's voice.
“If you thrust forward even an inch further, I’ll strangle him.”
He tightened his grip, and Ji Qiu'an, who was already limp, began to struggle unconsciously.
Jiang Yuhuo immediately dared not move.
Li Mengbai held the sword tip between two fingers and slowly pulled it out of his body.
"I will never let you break my heart again."
As he spoke, he refused to loosen his grip, his fingers lingering on the tip of the sword, wet with blood, as if his own blood on her sword held a special meaning.
"Let him go, you madman!" Jiang Yuhuo frowned fiercely, then suddenly drew her sword and stabbed at his hand.
madman……
Li Mengbai suddenly seemed frozen in place. Jiang Yuhuo's sword pierced his palm, but he didn't dodge. His bleeding hand still tightly gripped Ji Qiu'an's throat. He gave a desolate smile and said, "Yes, I'm a madman."
"Give me a kiss and I'll let him go."
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Author's Note: I'll try to finish the main story in 15 chapters. Never mind, I'll just try! [Pity][Pity]
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